Big Summer: A Novel

I have read every single one of JW’s books and this one is my least favorite. It was very difficult to stay engaged in the first third of the book and I only started caring about the characters when it was almost over. Not a winner for me…

I feel the author totally missed the boat when trying to communicate the feelings of an overweight person in the 1990's. She is writing as if the same attitudes we are just getting used to about fat people in 2020 were in place back then. Daphne also swings wildly from being overly self critical about her weight and then impulsively wearing a bikini and leaping into bed with a man she just met. I also was never really clear if Daphne was just overweight or really fat. For me, the first part of the book seemed written for a teenage audience. The murder mystery came out of the blue. I finished the book to see "whodonit", but can't say I would recommend it - it was just MEH.

Don’t waste your time. I usually adore Jennifer’s books but this one was terrible from beginning to end. She should stay away from “murder mysteries” and keep to stories from earlier days. If this was the first book I’d read from her, it would have been my last if I’d even finished it. Waste of time and money, I’m afraid.

American author Jennifer Weiner writes “chic lit” and she does a pretty good job at it. She’s no Leo Tolstoy; it would be useless and cruel to compare the two authors. But she generally creates interesting characters and puts them in interesting plots. And so it is with her new novel, “Big Summer”.Weiner seems to take deliberate aim at today’s social media. Her main character, Daphne Berg, is a rising “influencer”. (Is EVERYBODY an Influencer today?”). Now in her mid-20’s, she has fought weight issues all her life and has parlayed her issues and out-going personality into an Instagram business. She’s making money - but not enough to quit her other part time jobs - as the book starts. We soon discover that she had gained a temporary notoriety when she was filmed fighting a man in a bar. The other main character is Daphne’s high school buddy, Drue Cavanaugh, who is a true WASP princess. The two are no longer friends.The book goes from comedy of manners to mystery about half way through. The only problem I have with Weiner’s book is that the characters often edge into caricature. But it’s a good book for these times of uncertainty. It’ll make you laugh...

I had high expectations after reading MRS. EVERYTHING last summer. However, BIG SUMMER had some inconsistencies that an editor should have noticed. Some of the technology the author cites as being in use in the late 1990a or early 2000s was not even available to the general public at that time. Likewise, the kindle edition of the book had a couple typos. In general, this book was disappointing because it feels like it was written and edited too quickly. This is particularly disappointing because it is coming off the heels of MRS. EVERYTHING, which was a well-thought, well -researched book that generated important discussions about societal expectations of womanhood.

I listened to author talk on npr and tried but way too much reflection to adolescences years. Got boring and too bad because I liked Daphne but didn’t need many pages about it all. It was already related. I’ll just skim through and find out what happens. I’m sure i know 😉

The first half of this book was a shallow slog. One-dimensional, unlikeable characters and a weak plot. Every time I picked it up, within minutes my attention was pulled away. Almost anything else was more engaging. Then out of nowhere - half way through it became a murder mystery. It got marginally better and pace picked up but the plot holes loomed large and big ‘reveals’ in the mystery came out of nowhere and made little sense. By the end, the killer was so implausible it was almost insulting. I love when the killer is so unexpected but immediately in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. Not the case here. This one was a head-scratcher in all the wrong ways. Wish I could have the time back that I spent reading this. One of the worst books I’ve read in 2020. Instead, read The Silent Patient, The Women In the Window, Where the Crawdads Sing, or Tips For Living. Those are murder mysteries that will leave you satiated!

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little early but this will be THE summer read of 2020! I love that when I started reading, I was thinking it was going to be one kind of story and it turned out to be a totally unexpected treat! Daphne was a fun character to get to know. She had insecurities and body issues that so many woman have but Jennifer Weiner does a good job of not making her a melancholy mess. She doubts herself like we all do or doubts others’ intentions but she somehow accepts herself for who she is. I love that we get to see a plus size girl not on a diet throughout the book, not being self deprecating for 300 pages and not ending up 50 pounds lighter and happier by the end of the book. I also loved Daphne’s parents. The love they had for each other and Daphne and the love she had for them was refreshing. If there were any criticism, it would be the love story. It felt a little a contrived and somewhat unbelievable. The dialogue seemed less authentic than I would expect. All that aside, it’s a good read!

I LOVED this and read it in four days straight. It would have been two days straight but I was enjoying it so much I had to put it aside so as not to finish it too quickly.About two chapters in, I posted this: 'I’ve just started Jennifer Weiner's new book 'Big Summer' and there’s this bit where the main character makes banana bread and it was described so beautifully it made my mouth water. I didn’t have any bananas so made cinnamon rolls instead - first time I’ve ever made them and they were delicious. Not quite as good as Weiner's banana bread which had chocolate chips and walnuts, but they were pretty good. The book is really good too, but if she keeps writing about food like that it’s going to take me a good while to finish it.'As May moved sunnily towards June during Lockdown, this was a lovely read, and whenever I could get away I'd sit in the garden and disappear into this book. Full of wonderful descriptions of the rich in Cape Cod as well as Daphne's life in New York city, I felt like I’d been on holiday when I got to the end.I could read Weiner's luscious descriptions of food, wandering around busy New York, or expensive weddings of the uber rich in Cape Cod forever, but then she drops in a murder and I was even more gripped.I have been a loyal reader of Weiner since 'Good in Bed', which came out an unbelievable 20 years ago. She has matured into a thoughtful and gifted writer but still retains her wonderful dry humour and sense of fun. I love her characters who - and I know this sounds really naff - feel like friends. Wiener invests them with such warmth and presence you can't wait to hear their stories.My only teeny quibble was two plot points where I felt I'd missed something. First, I couldn't work out how she suddenly realised where a guy she'd been looking for was (I will have to go back to re-read as I may have been whizzing through it so quickly I didn't pick up the clues) and second, the final reveal of the murderer was a bit of a quick jump and again the link was a tiny bit too neat.But, hey, what's a tiny plot point between friends? I snarfed this down the same way I did my cinnamon rolls - and I'm going to buy all the ingredients to make Daphne's banana bread - I wonder if Weiner could send me the recipe?This is a great book - go read it.

Have read most of Jennifer Weiner’s books, this felt a little different to her usual ones. I have really struggled to read over lockdown, despite previously being an avid reader, so determinedly downloaded some old faithful writers to get me back into it.It’s well written, takes an interesting tangent in the middle but the character is engaging and readable. I read on a beach holiday so wasn’t wanting anything too taxing. Not her best book but I enjoyed it as an escapist holiday read

So love these books. From reading Good in Bed all those tears ago and laughing about the line being heavier than her boyfriend. That stuck with me. I've lost 5 stone over the years but will always be a big girl. Thanks Jennifer for making me feel OK about it

Not the best “beach read” out there. The characters are interesting and there’s diversity in this novel which is unfortunately rare. The twist was unexpected but something about the story and writing leaves you feeling a bit unsatisfied.

This was am impulse buying after reading a newspaper review. I had never heard of the author, and was looking forward to an entertaining reading.... Instead found it cumbersome verging on nonsensical. Regret spending the money.